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Presidential Fertilizer Initiative Programme has commenced. Eleven blending plants are in now in full operation in different locations across the country. The fertilizer will be sold to farmers at a price of N5,500 per 50KG bag only by State Governments, registered distributors and dealers registered with FEPSAN. Intrested distributors/dealers to participate in the scheme can register with any of the blending plants and at FEPSAN office at No 1. NIDB Building, Muhammadu Buhari way, Kaduna. Whistle blower Nos: 08175777724, 08175077773

Inside Zaria’s fertilizer adulteration ‘plant’

However, an alarm raised by residents of Dala village of Zaria over alleged movement of trailers loaded with contaminated fertilizer has led to the arrest of one Muhammad Lawal Bashir, a fertilizer trader in PZ area. Bashir, as confirmed by the police, was alleged to have been engaged in the production of fake fertilizer in a farm located at the Dala village.When Daily Trust visited the village, it was observed that Bashir and his group have converted what looked like an abandoned farmhouse on the farm into a plant for their illicit business of fertilizer contamination.When our correspondent visited the place, however, there was nobody in the farm except some women who said they were the wives of the security man of the farm.They said their husband, Adamu Bello, was arrested by the police in connection with the production of the fake fertilizer.However, some residents of the village, who craved for anonymity, said they raised the alarm, because they have been noticing movement of trailers in and out of the farm.One of them said; “We know that that place is a farm not a fertilizer factory. However, since the Federal Government started releasing its subsidized fertilizer, we have been noticing how trailers moved into the farm with fertilizer and after sometime, other sets of trailers would move out with the same fertilizer. This was how we became suspicious and alerted the relevant authorities.”Daily Trust discovered that the farmhouse at the centre of the production of the fake fertilizer has no heavy duty machines in it.What the fertilizer adulterators did was to bring in the fertilizer released by the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI), mixed it with sand and repackage it for onward distribution and sale to unsuspecting farmers, one of the residents alleged.“What they do is to mix one bag of Urea fertilizer with five bags of sand, thereby making six bags. They have workers who do this dirty work for them. They have knitting machines that make the bags of the fake fertilizer look similar to the ones produced by PFI. I think they also have connection with those that produce sacks for the Federal Government, because it would be difficult for one to differentiate the original from the fake sack. This is why it becomes necessary for the Federal Government to interrogate those producing its sacks,” one of the sources said.Speaking with our correspondent, the Zaria Police Area Commander, Abdullahi Ibrahim, said they have so far intercepted over 1,000 bags of the fake fertilizer.He said both the owner of the fake factory and the seized bags of adulterated fertilizer have been taken to the police command’s headquarters in Kaduna for further investigation.“We have recovered many materials used in perpetrating the nefarious act and our suspicion, for now, is that they were attempting to scuttle the Federal Government’s Presidential Fertilizer Initiative,” ACP Ibrahim said.Similarly, the chairman of the fertilizer traders of PZ, Zaria, Alhaji Sani ASD Danmarke, said the producer of the fake fertilizer was one of the bad eggs within their midst. He said they have internal mechanism of checking those types of notorious behaviours and assured farmers that the PZ fertilizer traders would continue to expose and expel bad eggs like suspect.When contacted, the national secretary of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, Ahmed Kwa, confirmed the incident, saying the Kaduna State government has launched investigation into the matter.He said Fertilizer Producers and Supplies Association of Nigeria, anchoring the project, had taken steps to enlightening members of the public through radio jingles on how to identify fake fertilizer and report same to relevant authorities for necessary action.https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/agriculture/inside-zaria-s-fertiliser-adulteration-plant/197246.html

Fepsan Members

Mission

To provide a platform for the stakeholders in the public and private sectors of the fertilizer industry to develop effective public private partnerships in order to ensure timely supply of adequate quantity and quality fertilizers; and to promote professional, moral and ethical practices in the industry.

Vision

Attain improved productivity and environmental sustainability of Nigerian Agriculture through balanced and judicious use of fertilizers....Attain improved productivity and environmental sustainability of Nigerian Agriculture through balanced and judicious use of fertilizer...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Contact

2nd Floor Bank of Industry Building 18 Muhammad Buhari Way, Kaduna, Nigeria. Mobile: +234 (803) 3174409 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.